Hood latch



HOOD LATCH Filed Jan. 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l @at 2?', i931. N. A. MEARS ET AL HOOD LATCH Filed Jan. 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @y @MQ/1 MMD Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NORTON A. MEARS AND DIBRELL P. HYNES, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T0 CHICAGO FOBGING & MANUFACTURING CO., 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLJITOIS HOOD LATCH Application led January 6, 1930. Serial No. 418,884.

Our invention relates to an improvement 1n automobile locking means for automobile hoods. It has for one purpose the provision B vof locking means for the hinged portion of thehood which shall be effective and shall prevent rattling and shall take up looseness or play. Another object is the provision of means for actuating such locking means in response-to actuation of an exterior handle, which handle shall also be adaptable to raise and lower the hinged portion of the hood. Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims. We illustrate our invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanylng drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side elevation;

Figure 2 is an inside View on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a detail;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4.-4 of Figure 2; t

Figure' 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of AFigure 2;

Figure is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a side elevation; and

Figure 8 is a front elevation of a variant form of locking abutment.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification andl drawings.

Referring'to the drawings, A generally 1ndicates the longitudinal frame members of an automoloile. A1 is the radiator, A2 the upper portion of the hood and A3 the lower hinged portion of the automobile hood. A* indicates an inner abutment for the lower edge of the hinged hood portion A8. Rotatably mounted on the inner face of the hood portion A3 is a rock shaft generally indicated as B. The rock shaft includes a central offset portion B1, terminal offset portions or crank hooks B2 and additional offset portions B3. We may provide terminal bearing straps B4 adjacent the hook members B2. Ad-

jacent the central offset portion B1 is a bearing structure assembly which includes the plate B5, secured to the inner face of the hood. It carries bearing members B6 B, for the straight portions of the shaft B. Its

upper edge is formed vwith an inwardly turned fiange B7 which may be slotted as at Rotatably mounted in relation to the plate B5 and the adjacent portion of the hood A8 is the exterior handle C which includes a portion C1 projecting inwardly through the hood and the plate B5. The portions C1 may be squared as at C2 to receive the crank arm C", shown in the 'form of a channel. The crank arm C3 is of such len th as to penetrate with its outer end the slot 8, as shown in the full line position at the right of Figure 2. The portion of the crank arm and the slot B8 is such that rotation of the crank arm is limited when it passes beyond the center or beyond a vertical line drawn upwardly through its center of rotation. Mounted on the crank arm C3 is any suitable crank pin C* pivoted to which is the connector member C5. As shown for example in Figure 5 this connector C" constrains the offset portion B1 of the rock shaft to position in contact with, or adjacent to, or in operative relation with the pin C". B10 is any suitable stop for limiting the rotation of the crank arm Cl at the opposite limit of its movement.

As abutments for the end of the crank shaft, opposed to the crank members or hooks B2, we illustrate yielding members which may include base portions D, secured to the automobile frame and more or less flexible members D1 extending therefrom and terminating in the inclined portions D2, opposed to the cranks B2, and upwardly and inwardly inclined in relation to the lower edge of the hood. For example in Figures 2 and 4 we illustrate these abutments as formed of rod stock. They may be formed of any other suitable stock. We illustrate, for example, in Figures 7 and 8 generally similar abutm'ents of strip spring stock.

It will be realized that whereas we have described and shown a practical and opera.- tive device, nevertheless many changes might be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of our invention. We therefore wish our description and drawings to b taken as in a broad sense illustrative and di.`

rotation of the handle and of the crank arm Ca being a proximately 1802 When the handle has n rotated to bring the crank shaft Ca into thegfull line position of Flgure 2 the rock shaft is rotated with the terminal cranks or hooks B2 in the position in which they are shown at the left of Fi re 2 in locking engagement with the inclined abutment portions D2. Preferably but not necessarily these abutments are yieldingly formed. The cranks B2 are to some extent yielding. In practice, it is often important that the cranks, such as B2, be more yielding than would be a more rigid type'of crank, such as a mere radial extension at right angles to the crank. In employing the term yielding in connection with a crank applicants wish to be understood as meaning a crank more yielding than would be a mere radial extension of the material of the shaft. In em loying an open loop, such as the recurved en portion B2, we obtain a crank of satisfactory yielding characteristics as to flexure and torque. In order to provide a ready and automatic take-up, and to compensate for wear and for variations in dimensions of the opposed parts and for irregularities in assembly and in location of parts, we provide for additional torsional take-up means. For example we provide additional offset portions Bs of the rock shaft.

These have the function of permitting .the rock shaft to adjust itself torsionally to variations in ositions of the opposed locking members.` nough spring or play is thereby provided to compensate for wear and to compensate for example in irregularities in size, or shape of the abutments or of the crank members B2 themselves.

In rotating the crank shaft the crank pin C* when rotating in one direction directly engages and actually moves the offset central portion B1. In retrograde rotation the operation connection between the crank pin C* and the offset B1 is maintained by the piveted connector C". The slot Bs is so proportioned as to permit the crank arm Cs to override its center. "This, itaken in connection with the torsion of the shaft, serves to maintain it locked in position.

We claim:

1. A latching device for the hinged section of an automobile hood, which includes a rock` shaft mounted on the inner face of the hood, a plurality of yielding latch abutments positioned within and spaced laterally inwardly from the hood, offset portions associated with the rock shaft, adapted for engagement with said abutments, said abutments including upwardly and inwardly inclined relatively extended cam which the off set portions o the rock shaft are slidable, and means for rotating said 'rock shaft, including, an additional offset portion intermediate the ends of the shaft, a handle mounted on the hood, and` an actuating connection between said handle and said last mentioned intermediate offset.

2. A latching device for the hinged section of an automobile hood, which includes a rock shaft mounted on the inner face of the hood, a plurality of latch abutments positioned with-in and spaced laterally inwardly from the hood, cranks associated with the rock shaft, adapted for engagement With said abutments, and means for rotating said rock shaft, including an additional crank intermediate the ends of the shaft, a handle mounted on the hood, and an actuating connection between said handle and said last mentioned crank, and means, intermediate said actuating connection and the latch abutment engaging cranks, for increasing the torsional yield of said shaft.

3. A latching device for the hinged section of an automobile hood, which includes a rock shaft mounted on the inner face of the hood, a plurality of latch abutments positioned within and spaced laterally inwardly from the hood, cranks associated with the rock.

shaft, adapted for engagement withl said abutments, and means for rotating said rock shaft, including an additional crank intermediate the ends of the shaft, a handle mounted on the hood, and an actuating connectionI between said handle and said last mentioned crank, and means, intermediate said actuating connection and the latch abutment engaging cranks, for increasing the torsional yield of said shaft, including additional oisets in said shaft.

4. A latching device for the hinged section of an automobile hood, which includes a rock shaft rotatably mounted on the inner face of the hood, means, including a portion positioned exteriorly if said hood, for rotating said rock shaft, yielding crank elements associated with said rock shaft and yielding abutments positioned within and spaced lat-- erally inwardly from said hood, adapted for engagementv with said yielding crank elements, said abutments including upwardly and inwardly inclined and relatively extended cam portions along which the cranks are slidably positioned in camming relationship, when the rock shaft is moved into locking position.

5. A latching device for the hinged section of an automobile hood, which includes a rock shaft rotatably mounted on the inner'face of thc hood, means for rotating it, crank meinortions along bers associated with the rock shaft, and 'elding abutments, positioned within the ood, adapted to be engaged by said crank members, said abutments including each a base portion adapted to be secured to an automobile and a yielding cam member projecting therefrom along which said crank members are adapted to slide, in camming relationship, in response'to rotation vof the shaft into locking position, said cammember including a portion upwardly and inwardly inclined in relation to the lower edge of the hood.

6. A latching device for an automobile hood which includes a plurality of latch abutments within the hood and laterally inwardly spaced therefrom when the hood is in closed position, a rock shaft ladapted to be supported upon the interior of said hood, said shaft having an intermediate crank, an actuating member, adapted to actuate said crank, rotatably mounted within and upon the hood, an exterior handle adapted to rotate said actuating member, and additional cranks on said shaft adapted to engage said latch abutments, and bearings interposed between the ends of the rock shaft and the hood, the ends of the rock shaft, adjacent said last mentioned bearings, being recurved toward the intermediate portion of the shaft, to engage said latch abutments.

7. A latching device for an automobile hood which includes a plurality of latch abutments positioned within the hood and laterally inwardl spaced therefrom when the hood is in close position, a rock shaft adapted to be supported upon the interior of the hood, and means for rotating it, and offset recurved end portions on said rock shaft adapted to engage said latch abutments, said abutments being rovided with surfaces, upwardly and inwardl inclined from the plane of rest of the hoo ,adapted slidably to receive the offset recurved portions of the rock shaft when they are rotated into locking position, said recurved ends being adapted to engage said inclined surfaces in sliding camming relationship.

8. A latching device for an automobile hood which includes a plurality of latch abutments positioned within the hood and laterally inwardy spaced therefrom when the hood is in closed position, a resilient rock shaft adapted to be supported upon the interior of the hood, the ends of said rock shaft being recurved toward the-'intermediate portion of t-he shaft, the recurved portions being generally parallelwith the axis of rotation of the shaft, and being radially spaced therefrom, the portions of the shaft adjacent said recurved ends being secured rotatably to said hood and being aligned with said latch abutments, and means for rotating said rock shaft to thrust said recurved ends into camming latching engagement with said latch abutments.

9. A latchin device for the hinged section of an automobe hood, which includes a rock shaft mounted on the inner face of the hood, a plurality of latch abutments positioned within and spaced laterally inwardly from t-he hood, cranks associated with the rock shaft, adapted for engagement with said abutments, and means for rotating said rock shaft, including anl additional crank inter mediate the ends of the shaft, a handle mounted on the hood, and an actuating connection between said handle and said last mentioned crank, and means, intermediate said actuating connection and the latch abutment engaging cranks, f'or increasing the torsional yield of said shaft, including offset portions of the shaftextending outwardly from the axis of rotation of the shaft for a portion of the length of the shaft, said offset portions con necting portions of the shaft lying in th.;l axis of rotation of the shaft. Y

Signed at Chicago, county ofCook and -State of Illinois, this 27th day of November,

NORTON A. MEARS. DIBRELL P. HYNES. 

